Service Opportunities

Hi folks.... Hope everyone is enjoying the SNOW!!!

Here are some service opportunities that were sent to me via Portland Parks and Rec.

What have you done for term 2 service? What is your plan to finish your hours if you haven't already?

From: "Verrilli, Mary" <Mary.Verrilli@portlandoregon.gov> Date: January 3, 2017 at 10:18:24 AM PST Subject: Volunteers Opportunities Happening in West Portland this January! Happy New Year! Get outdoors this new year by stewarding your favorite natural area park with Portland Parks & Recreation. Join us in removing invasive plants, planting native shrubs and trees, and beautifying our parks for wildlife and communities. All ages are welcome to attend; young children must be supervised by an adult. Check out the many exciting opportunities going on in West Portland below! Ø  1/11 - Friends of Marquam Nature Park and the West Willamette Restoration Partnership – Marquam Nature Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/618085 Ø  1/14 - MLK Service Project at River View Natural Area with Hands ON Portland - River View Natural Area https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/620473 Ø  1/14 - MLK Hands on Portland Service Project at Gabriel Park- Gabriel Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/621239 Ø  1/21 - No Ivy League Work Party – Forest Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/618050 Ø  1/21 - Friends of Terwilliger Restoration Volunteer Event – Terwilliger Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/618287 Ø  1/28- Friends of Woods Memorial Park Volunteer Event- Woods Memorial Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/622518 Ø  1/28 - Friends of Marquam Nature Park and the West Willamette Restoration Partnership – Marquam Park https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/618092 *Make sure to check our PP&R Stewardship calendar before all events. There may be some cancellations due to weather* Emily LytleCommunity Aide II | Lands Stewardship Natural Areas West Portland Parks & Recreation 1120 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 1302 Portland, Oregon 97204Emily.Lytle@portlandoregon.gov portlandparks.org

1/10

Stay warm and safe out there folks!

HW due Wednesday:

Complete the Water is Life unit Pre-Assessment

Water is Life - Pre-Assessment

***REMEMBER, I don't expect you to know any of these answers. Simply share your best thinking based off however you interpret the questions. DO NOT look anything up online, just finish whatever you weren't able to do in class today. Your responses will serve as a marker for how much you learned when you re-take this at the end of the unit as a post-assessment to document your learning.

1st Weekend of 2017

Life and school in 2017 is underway! Happy weekend everyone. Stay safe and warm with all this snowy, cold weather.

HW due Monday:

1. Writing Exploded Moment
...Focusing on either an intention you set in class Friday or something you want to "let go" for 2017 write an exploded moment, imagining yourself in the future practicing that intention or practicing "letting go." This exploded moment should include a hook, dialogue, and sensory details (sights, sounds, smells, touch, etc...) and should be at least 1/2 page. Spend 15-25 minutes on this.

For example, if your intention was to have a more positive attitude with your younger sibling, make up a story using an exploded moment that shows you having that more positive attitude with your younger sibilng

2. Water Interesting Fact
...As we get ready to launch our Water is Life unit, come to school with 1 interesting fact about water written down. It could be a fact you already know, something you learned from Sarah during science on Friday, or something you researched on your own

SERVICE
What have you done or are you doing for service in term 2? Term 2 service is due Friday, January 20th. This means that you have 3 total hours doing either school, community, or cultural exchange service

Because of weather, tree recycling has been cancelled this weekend. It will be rescheduled shortly

NewsELA - In Class Reading - 1/5/17

1. NewsELA - Youth Climate Change

2. NewsELA - Challenges (pick any article)

Winter Break!!!

Wow! What a crazy last two weeks before winter break. I'm so sorry that I didn't get a chance to wish you all a happy winter break. I hope that everyone made it home safely without getting stuck in too much traffic from school Wednesday!

The most important thing for you to do over winter break is to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate your family and friends.

In addition, over winter break you should be reading daily!!! I expect you all to finish one book during your time away from school. I will be asking you about your reading experience over winter break your first day back.

If you are having a hard time finding a Just Right book, check out some of these options that I put together. I had planned on sharing much of these books with you as well as having others give recommendations about books, but alas, we had two straight snow days!

Books Middle Schoolers Should Read

Because there was no school Thursday and Friday many of you did not get a chance to turn in late work. I will accept late work until Thursday, January 5th. A link to view the updated grades is below.

Term 2 Grades - Updated 12/13/16

As a reminder, I will not be at school the first two day backs. I am very excited that Daniel Murphy-Cairns will be there as the substitute. You all met him in class on Tuesday and many of you know him from when he student taught for Abby when you were in 1st/2nd grade!

Tuesday, January 3rd will be a Riparian Festival Curriculum Open House. Because the festival was cancelled twice, the event will not be a major festival like we had planned and have known in the past. However, your work is way to amazing to not share! That is why Tuesday there will be an open house after school from 3:30 - 7:00. I won't be there, but all our work will still be set up and on display. Bring a family member into the room that afternoon/evening and show off all that we did this fall!

Enjoy your break, read daily, and be prepared to be awesome those first two days back with Daniel. I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday, January 5th!!!!

The Riparian Festival - Explained (from the SES Messenger)

[CHANGE IN DATE] Tuesday, January 3, 3:30-7pm: SES Riparian festival

After much deliberation and some phone calls back and forth with PPS, the Riparian Festival was again postponed due to December snow and storms.

The event has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 3; however, the event will be an open house curriculum showcase, from 3:30-7pm. The 3rd through 8th grade rooms and the science lab will be open, student work will be on full display and your children will help tour you around the school.

We will not have a meal or any of the other accompanying activities that we had planned for the original event, but we will be offering an evening event dedicated to Standing Rock Solidarity and Action later in January. More to come once we have finalized information and a date.

Thank you for your flexibility; the weather simply has not been on our side this month. Please feel free to email Alexa at apearson@pps.net if you have any additional questions or concerns.

12/13

HW due Wednesday:

Tomorrow is the Riparian Festival from 5:30 - 8:00 !!!

Make sure your How Our Earth Works Interactive Individual project is ready to be set up with the Project Write Up and Connections Web in the classroom tomorrow.

SERVICE?!?!?! Are you going to sign up for class or community service tomorrow during the Riparian Festival?

Secret Snowflake --- Come with a secret snowflake gift (spend no more than $5 total this week) for your secret snowflake. Place it in their cubby in the morning. We can all check our cubbies at the end of the day.

Late Work --- Progress Reports are being sent home Thursday. No more late work can be turned in after Friday, December 16th.

Be awesome with your sub tomorrow while I am at my district training

12/12

Welcome back from Snow Day living everybody! And happy birthday today to Kai and happy belated birthdays to Samuel and Sean!!!!!!!!

We are going to have a hectic last week of school because of all the schedule changes. Here are some things to be mindful of...

Due Tuesday (tomorrow):
1. How Our Earth Works Individual Interactive Project
...Bring your project into class along with your Project Write Up and Connections Web


Riparian Festival is Wednesday, December 14th from 5:30 - 8:30
...Be thinking if you can sign up for community service or school service in the classroom tomorrow for the festival
...Know that tomorrow is going to be a huge work day. Be thinking about what you can do to help support our class in making it as geologically awesome as possible for Wednesday

Secret Snowflake - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - $5 maximum!!!


Friday - No more late work from term 2 accepted (grades will be updated tomorrow)
Friday - Be prepared to tell me what book you will be reading over winter break and how you will get your hands on it. Be thinking about this all week!